Wall panels formed from laminated wood, coated particle board or gypsum board are widely used in the construction industry because of the relatively low cost of these panels and the ease of handling and installing the panels. More particularly, panels of this type generally are four feet wide and eight or more feet long. Thus, a large area of a wall can be covered with a single panel. Additionally, the panels generally can be formed with inexpensive but structurally sufficient substrates to which a thin decorative layer is laminated. The resulting structure is well suited to automated manufacture at a low cost. On many panels, such as gypsum panels, coasts are held even lower by providing a top layer that is merely a non-decorative paper that can readily be painted or otherwise coated.
One of the few disadvantages of the prior art wall panels is that they leave visually apparent seams at the juncture of adjacent panels. Many wall panels require the application of a filler, such as plaster or an acrylic material, to fill the area adjacent the seams. The proper use of such fillers often requires at least as much time as the time required to secure the panels to the wall. For example, some panels require sequential applications of plaster, paper tape and more plaster over the seam. The plaster is allowed to dry for several hours. The covered seam then must be sanded, recoated and sanded again. Other panels require the application of an acrylic filler in lieu of plaster. These fillers generally do not require a paper tape, but they are difficult to handle and invariably require extensive sanding.
Fillers generally must be applied by a skilled craftsman to avoid leaving an obtrusive indication of the seam. Furthermore, many widely used panels include a decorative top coating that can not reasonably be used with a filler. Panels of this type often attempt to make the seam aesthetically attractive rather than trying to cover or camouflage the seam. For example, the edges of the panels may be beveled to provide reasonably attractive grooves at the junctures of adjacent panels. Alternatively, panels may be employed with molding strips that can be applied between abutting edges.
Several attempts have been to provide panels that will successfully hide the seams. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,054,246 which issued to Dalzell on Sept. 15, 1936 shows a wallboard wherein the face layer of each panel is spaced inwardly from a first longitudinal edge, but overhangs the second longitudinal edge by an equivalent amount. A plurality of panels according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,054,246 are disposed such that the respective disimilar edges of adjacent panels are in abutting relationship. Thus, the overhanging face layer of one panel will be mounted to the edge of an adjacent panel having an inwardly spaced face layer. In this manner, the panels of U.S. Pat. No. 2,054,246 are intended to hide the seams between adjacent panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,11,787 which issued to Chamberlain on Nov. 26, 1963 shows a roofing panel having a plurality of laminated layers including an outer layer of roofing felt. One edge of the roofing felt overhangs the rest of the panel. This overhanging edge of the roofing felt in U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,787 includes a layer of adhesive on the inwardly facing side to which a release paper is removably secured. As the panels are positioned, the respective overhanging portions of the roofing felt overlap the adjacent panel. This overlap is made more secure by removing the release paper such that the overhanging roofing felt can be secured to the adjacent panel by the preapplied adhesive.
Canadian Pat. No. 675,101, which issued to Hanson on Dec. 3, 1963 shows a gypsum wallboard the face layers of which wrap around the respective longitidunal edges. These face layers can be peeled back to enable nails to be driven into the respective boards adjacent the edges. The face layers of Canadian Pat. No. 675,101 then can be overlapped with one another and trimmed.
Other structures similar to those described above are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,935 which issued to Kossuth et al on Jan. 9, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,086 which issued to Warner on Sept. 23, 1969; French Pat. No. 790,248 which issued to Stevenson on May 18, 1953; and Soviet Pat. No. 791,852.
While certain of the above described references facilitate the installation of wallboards, these panels generally have not been entirely successful in concealing the seams. For example, it has been found that the edges of the face layers that are intended to mate with one another often are damaged during shipping, storage or installation, thus making the joint visually apparent. It also has been found that even if the damaged edges can be trimmed, the overhanging face layers are susceptable of being creased during either storage or installation. This crease is particularly likely to occur adjacent the edge of the substrate. Thus, although the seam may be covered on these prior art panels, it is still readily visible.
Even if the panel is carefully handled through its installation to ensure the avoidance of damage, it has been found that thermal and moisture related expansion and contraction of panels will periodically create gaps at adjacent edges. This periodic movement of the panel edges is likely to create folds or creases in the portion of the face layer which overlaps the seam between adjacent panels.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a panel or wallboard capable of yielding visually unobtrusive seams between adjacent panels.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a panel or wallboard that does not require the use of filling compounds to conceal seams between adjacent panels.
It is an additional object of the subject invention to provide face layers that can readily be trimmed to remove damaged edges and ensure precise edge-to-edge abutment.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a panel or wallboard with an overhanging face layer that is not likely to be damaged during installation panel.
It is yet another object of the subject invention to provide a panel or wallboard wherein the face layer is not likely to be creased or folded as a result of thermal or moisture related expansion and contraction after installation of the panel.